Walt Disney World Resort and Steve Harvey Inspire Teens Through Disney's Dreamers Academy 2009 Class

Walt Disney World Resort and Steve Harvey Inspire Teens Through Disney's Dreamers Academy 2009 Class

100 Nationwide High School Students Selected to Attend Innovative Learning Environment at Walt Disney World Resort

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., Dec. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Walt Disney World Resort, in partnership with nationally syndicated radio personality Steve Harvey, announced its selection of 100 nationwide high school students to participate in the Disney's Dreamers Academy of 2009. Selected students and a guardian will travel to Walt Disney World Resort to take part in an innovative career inspiration program that includes interactive workshops, motivational talks, hands-on creative experiences and fun. The program will take place February 12-15, 2009, during national Black History Month.

"With the nation's attention on change and a spirit of renewed hope, we are very pleased with the excitement centered on this year's Disney's Dreamers Academy and the overwhelming enthusiasm it has generated from young people spanning America," said Xiomara Wiley, a vice president of marketing at Disney Destinations. "We want to educate and open doors for our young dreamers by helping them to realize the power within and inspiring them to discover their dreams and follow them wherever they lead."

Celebrating its second "Dreamers Class," the Disney's Dreamers Academy reaches out nationwide to teens, grades 9-12, extolling the virtues of preparing for the future. The program's aim is to expose teens to creative and nontraditional career opportunities in everything from culinary arts to animation, set design and show production to the business of sports, while inspiring them to exceed the boundaries of their dreams and imaginations.

The Steve Harvey Morning Show conducted the Dreamer's Contest to identify the participants in Disney's Dreamers Academy. This program was created for high school students who show promise -- but may need additional motivational support to excel. However, all of the selected students share a trait: the power to DREAM. Parents, teachers, school administrators, church groups and even the students themselves nominated more than 4,000 aspiring dreamers from across the nation for the program.

"The Walt Disney World organization has been a great partner in this initiative, and their commitment to providing students with a once in a life time experience, such as Disney's Dreamers Academy, is commendable," said Steve Harvey. "Together, we have the ability to enhance the lives of these deserving kids by showing them that there are many ways to follow your dreams."

During Disney's Dreamers Academy, students are given unprecedented access to the magic behind Walt Disney World Resort. As part of their experience this group of dreamers will participate in interactive workshops focusing on a variety of subjects including Walt Disney Imagineering techniques, entertainment, the business of sports, culinary arts, and more. Disney cast members, executives and celebrities will share their blueprints for success. Participants will also explore Disney's theme parks and then end their special weekend with a graduation ceremony where a special guest will deliver a motivational address.

Participants in this year's Disney's Dreamers Academy class were selected by a distinguished panel of judges including: Harvey; Wiley; Rushion McDonald (executive producer of the Steve Harvey Morning Show); Reverend Randolph Bracy (president of the NAACP, Orlando); Dr. Trudie Kibbe Reed (president, Bethune-Cookman University); Terrence J. (host of BET 106 & Park); Eugene Campbell (vice president of community relations & minority business development, Walt Disney World Resort); Steve Smith (NBA TV analyst/Ex-NBA player); Stephen A. Smith (ESPN Radio host/sports journalist); Cassie Davis (actress, "Tyler Perry's House of Payne"); Mark Hayes (WAGA-TV anchor, Fox Atlanta); and Eduardo Correia (director, Kodak Multicultural Marketing).

The Disney's Dreamer Academy was launched in 2007. For more information visit http://steveharvey.com/disneysdreamersacademy/.

The magic begins ...

The complete list of 100 teens selected to participate in Disney's Dreamers

                                 Academy *         Name                 City        State           High School   Roderick Turner       Birmingham       AL          John Carroll HS   Kelsey Bullard        Mexia            AL          Monroe HS   Grace Burton          Opelika          AL          Opelika HS   Kenderick Scorza      N. Little Rock   AR          N. Little Rock HS East   Renna Reed-Cobb       Lancaster        CA          Lancaster HS   Trevor Howard         Los Angeles      CA          Community Harvest   Jonathan McNeal       Los Angeles      CA          Venice High   Slomique Elder        Pasadena         CA          John Marshall Fund HS   Tre'Marri Evans       San Dimas        CA          San Dimas HS   Andre Johnson         Washington       DC          McKinley Tech   Clarence Lee III      Washington       DC          St. John's College HS   Dietra Hunter         Newark           DE          Christiana HS   Sharnett Brown        Wilmington       DE          Cab Calloway   Joel March            Apopka           FL          Boone HS   Abriel Littleton      Clearwater       FL          Clearwater HS   Dallas Glen           Jacksonville     FL          Stanton College Prep   John Ray III          Jacksonville     FL          Heart to Heart                                                       Christian Academy   Thomas Johnson        Lake Worth       FL          Santaluces HS   Celia Campbell        Miami            FL          Miami Edison Sr. HS   Ahbria Marshall       Miami            FL          Northwestern Sr. HS   Krista King           Orlando          FL          Dr. Philips HS   Anton Massey          Oviedo           FL          Lake Howell HS   Raven VonWood         Sarasota         FL          Potter's Wheel Academy   Broderick Fields      St. Petersburg   FL          Gibbs HS   Le'Amber Dunn         Valrico          FL          Durant HS   Kierstein Nelson      Winter Haven     FL          Harrison School for the                                                       Arts   Jasmine Gosha         Albany           GA          Westover HS   Taylor Scott          Atlanta          GA          Booker T. Washington HS   Deborah Griffin       Augusta          GA          Curtis Baptist   Christina Taylor      Decatur          GA          Druid Hills HS   Phelicia Berry        East Point       GA          Frederick Douglass HS   Jonathan Mims         Hephzibah        GA          AR Johnson Magnet HS   Shonquisha Burton     Louisville       GA          Jefferson County HS   Jaqualla Foxworth     Macon            GA          Rutland HS   Nikkita Saunders      Macon            GA          Central HS   Sha'Ron Lanier        Savannah         GA          Windsor Forest HS   Taylor Thomas         Alsip            IL          Allen B. Shepard   Samuel Lewis          Chicago          IL          St. Gregory HS.   Frank Lopez, Jr.      Chicago          IL          Luther HS South   Alexis Moore          Justice          IL          Argo Community HS   Stephan Earlywine     Trafalgar        IN          Southport HS   Demetrius Pennie      Lexington        KY          Bryan Station HS   Michael Williams      Gretna           LA          St. Augustine HS   Angell Luter          New Orleans      LA          St. Mary's Academy   Aquanetta Tyler       New Orleans      LA          Grace King HS   Wesley Jackson        Beltsville       MD          Laurel HS   Megan Hodge           Bowie            MD          Annapolis Area                                                       Christian   Symone Linkins        Columbia         MD          Wilde Lake HS   Devin Osborne         Darnestown       MD          Northwest HS   Ebony Fletcher        Hyattsville      MD          Clinton Christian   Darius Glover         Owings Mills     MD          Randallstown HS   Remi Winston          Severn           MD          Archbishop Spalding HS   Chaney Xavier         Waldorf          MD          Westlake HS   Toni Lynn Harris      Detroit          MI          Henry Ford HS   Khadijah King         Detroit          MI          Cass Technical HS   Jela Morris           Detroit          MI          Communications & Media                                                       Arts   Raven Pickett         Detroit          MI          Mumford HS   Domonique Williams    Detroit          MI          Covenant HS   Gerald Palmer, Jr.    Rochester Hill   MI          Rochester Adams HS   Javan Carter          Greenwood        MO          Lees Summit West HS   Miranda Johnson       Kansas City      MO          St. Teresa's Academy   Delmonty Jones        Charlotte        NC          Ardey Kell HS   Parth Joshi           Charlotte        NC          Evelyn Mack HS   Rochelle Maignan      Charlotte        NC          Cato Middle College HS   Olivia Stinson        Charlotte        NC          Mallard Creek HS   Jalen Crowder         Marshville       NC          Forest Hills HS   Hadiyah Lancaster     Raleigh          NC          Broughton HS   Cierra Holt           Wade             NC          Cape Fear HS   Quanyaria Story       Winston Salem    NC          Atkins HS   Quaniya Mason         Bloomfield       NJ          Bloomfield HS   Jasmine Cates         Mt. Vernon       NY          Thornton HS   Jalena Hardy          New York         NY          Martin Van Buren HS   Ariana Sampson-Morris New York         NY          Wadleigh HS of                                                       Performing Arts   Latoya Maile          Staten Island    NY          Port Richmond HS   Mychal Clayton        Akron            OH          Garfield HS   David Williams        Canonsburg       PA          Canon McMillian   Kyle Carter           Morrisville      PA          Pennsburg HS   Tequila Cole          Penn Hills       PA          Linton MS   Justyn Joint          Philadelphia     PA          W. Philadelphia                                                       Catholic   Niya McLeod           Philadelphia     PA          Stephen Girard College   Marquis Newman        Philadelphia     PA          Northeast HS   John Wilson           Philadelphia     PA          Abraham Lincoln HS   Kevin Hammer          Upper Darby      PA          Upper Darby HS   Justin Huang          West Chester     PA          Bayard Rustin HS   Justin Moore          Columbia         SC          Hammond School   Jordan Stovall        Elgin            SC          Ridgeview High School   Damian Glover         Arlington        TX          Mansfield Timberview HS   Rian Lowe             Dallas           TX          The Winston School   Dresstin Wagoner      Ft. Worth        TX          Eastern Hills   Joslyn Johnson        Haltom City      TX          Haltom High School   Marcus Inman          Capron           VA          Southhampton HS   Shakia McCloud        Chesapeake       VA          Indian River HS   Lauren Sharpe         Chester          VA          Thomas Dale HS   Ashley Knight         Franklin         VA          Southhampton HS   Robert Green          Newport News     VA          Heritage HS   Toni Johnson          Newport News     VA          Bethel HS   Terry Jernigan, Jr.   Norfolk          VA          Norview HS   Derrick Elliott       Portsmouth       VA          Woodrow Wilson HS   Teresa Cuffe          Virginia Beach   VA          Green Run HS   Michael Walker        Walworth         WI          Big Foot HS    * Participation is subject to verification and return of the required     documentation  

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Walt Disney World Resort

CONTACT: Annette Gibbs of Walt Disney World Resort, +1-407-566-5330,
Annette.gibbs@disney.com; or Larry Jones, +1-312-297-9786, ljones@Burrell.com,
for Walt Disney World Resort

Web site: http://steveharvey.com/disneysdreamersacademy

NOTE TO EDITORS: For photographs and more information about Disney's Dreamers Academy or Walt Disney World Resort, access the Walt Disney World Public Relations media only Web site at wdwnews.com; user name: disney; password: magic.

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Profile: International Entertainment